Wash your hands after blowing your nose, Danes advised

Many Danes are forgetting the simple rules of hygiene and can be carriers of infection

Old-fashioned soap and water is the best defence against spreading bacteria (photo: US Air Force/Senior Airman Laura Suttles)

June 7th, 2017 10:54 am| by Stephen Gadd

A survey carried out by YouGov for BTMX has shown that our use of soap and water after contact with some of our bodily fluids is not what it ought to be.

The researchers interviewed 1,002 people between the ages of 18-74. It turned out that three out of four people admitted to sometimes, rarely or never visiting the sink after blowing their noses.

Infecting your colleagues
If you don’t wash your hands after using a handkerchief or paper tissue, you can pass on the bacteria you have expelled from your nose to other people.

“There is no doubt you will have bacteria on your hands that you can pass on to others,” said Lars Münter, the secretary of the council for better hygiene.

“Typically, there would be a risk of infection from things such as colds, influenza, pneumonia and such like. It is a bit like the case of someone with excrement on their hands. It is full of bacteria, and of course you should wash your hands.”

More awareness needed
The council is trying to raise awareness to persuade Danes to use the sink much more, but recognise that it is a problem.

“Think how children learn to brush their teeth. They do it both at home and through the school dentist. But how much do we learn about washing our hands? Not much, I’m afraid,” Münter said.

The solution is easy according to the council. Its recommended procedure is to wet your hands, use soap and then scrub for 15-20 seconds. Afterwards, rinse your hands and dry them carefully.